Unforeseen Miscalculations
by Rauxlen
Summary: The World Ends With You: Neku and Joshua. Now with more JoshuaNeku. "It was an Unforeseen Miscalculation on my part." T for Language SPOILERS INCLUDED
1. An Unforseen Miscalculation

After seeing Luciana Coasta's little fic, I HAD to write one of my own. Especially since I absolutely LOVED the game and didn't put it down for another until I'd beaten it. As a matter of fact, I have the DS on and playing on my desk right now… I should turn it off before the battery dies…… I just can't stop listening to "transformation' though!

Enjoy, and as much as I'd love to own these characters, I unfortunately don't. How zetta lame.

By the way, **spoilers about the ending**. I myself don't care about my games being spoiled, since not knowing makes me want to rush through all of my games, but as for all you folks who like finding out yourself, please hit the back button.

* * *

Neku stared aimlessly out at his hometown of Shibuya. Nothing had changed while he had been in the UG." Nothing has changed, not even the conversations people have with each other." The kids still loved Tin Pin. Women still fantasized over the Prince. Trends were still changing rapidly.

But he was wrong. Something had changed. He'd changed. The time he spent in the UG hadn't changed the RG at all.

It'd changed him.

At first, he had always seen Shibuya as a place full of worthless people who were just obstacles placed in his life for no reason. No reason other than to die eventually. That he'd be better off without them.

Then Neku had met Shiki, Beat, Rhyme and…. Him.

Neku felt himself stiffen and punch the wall, making a couple people look at him warily like he was prone to flipping out. Not that he cared. His mind was occupied on him.

Joshua.

"That bastard." He hissed quietly.

Joshua was his partner from the second time he played The Game to give himself and Shiki a second chance. At first, the twerp had been even more annoying than when he'd first met Shiki. That quickly changed though. "I thought he and I could relate to each other. I though I had a _friend_ I could relate to…" He bit his lip and glared at the ground. "He USED me, that bastard." Neku hissed cursing words at Joshua's name as he continued to Tipsy Tose Hall. Someone ran around the corner and into him, but ran off without an 'excuse me' or anything.

"Watch where you're going!" Neku yelled. _This idiot should walk right into heavy traffic. Doesn't even freaking apologize_. But then he shook his head. It was moments like that that made little pieces of what he used to think about everyone else bubble to the surface before they sank back down. He of all people should know that life was incredibly valuable.

_And yet he toyed with mine._

His mind; his life; his memories; his beliefs….. His emotions.

It enraged Neku even further.

As much of a snot Joshua had been at first…. Just a little bit of him grew sort of attached to Joshua. And then he found out Joshua had used him.

And then a little bit of him died on the inside.

Joshua had betrayed his trust. He'd betrayed his friendship. He'd lied to him. Used him; Taunted him; Teased him like a friend would; Watched his back when Taboo Noise snuck up on him; Had a couple of bowls of ramen with him. Sometimes Neku found himself wishing he was still in the second time he played The Game (1), but then he'd realize that he'd still be dead, Rhyme still would be a pin, and Beat still would have been a reaper if it went that way.

But something stopped Neku's musings as he reached the Udagawa Back Streets from Shibi-Q Heads. He could have sworn someone was following him.

He still went there. To the place where he'd died…. To Hanekoma's graffiti. Where Joshua had shot him.

Call him someone asking for unwanted trips down memory lane, but that spot was still one of his favorite places to go after school. Somewhere he could just be alone and think.

Neku sighed and leaned against the image of the black cat in the red sweater and pulled his headphones from resting around his neck to cover his ears.

He needed some time to not listen to anyone for a while. He just wanted to relax.

Listen to some music and people watch. That was a nice relaxing afternoon.

_It'd be better if all the people here weren't Wild Boar skater freaks._

Everyone around here always wore these stupid full body outfits like they wanted to be painters or something when they grew up. Skateboarding Painters.

Neku could help but laugh at the image of Beat skateboarding with a paintbrush in his hand, signature 'face of disbelief' plastered as his expression. He'd have to tell them all about that one later.

Neku turned up the volume a couple notches when a group of teenage girls walked by literally fangirling over either 777 or the Prince. _Aaaaaas_ usual. Some things, no matter how creepy, would never change.

It was moments like this that Neku was glad he wasn't famous. It wasn't worth the stalkers.

Oh Hey, Lucky Star was playing now. How ironic. Regardless, Def Märch actually was a decent band to say the least.

'_Neku…'_

"What the?..." Neku paused his music to see if anyone was talking to him. No one was next to him on either side. His imagination?

Or a want to hear him.

As much as Neku hated to admit it, he wanted to see Joshua again. He wanted to be friends with him. He wanted to forget that Joshua had killed him, that Joshua used him all for a stupid game.

'_NEKU…'_

Neku stared straight ahead; past the crowds of skateboard toting Wild Boar freaks and tote bag carrying Natural Puppy lovers. He didn't see then. All he saw was that smirk.

That stupid smirk of HIS.

"… Joshua?"

That smirk turned into a full smile before Joshua turned, hands stuffed into his pockets as usual, and sauntering down the street.

_So he's just leaving?! _He calls out to him a just leaves? With Joshua, Neku never really understood what he was trying to get at. Joshua always hinted at things and left out little, but important details, or just answered cryptically to leave him in the dark. But did he have to ACT like that too?

Joshua wasn't leaving THAT easily. "Joshua! Joshua, WAIT!"

The more Neku ran after Joshua, the more he thought he was getting g closer to Joshua, only to realize that the other had in fact somehow ventured further away. Still Neku followed him; around corners; through crowds. He ran until he felt like his legs would give out.

But he lost him. He lost him at the scramble crossing.

"…. Of all the goddamned places…"

The Scramble was honestly one of the last places Neku liked to go to nowadays. After four weeks of having to wake up in the middle of a crosswalk, you start to become turned off to a place.

"Dammit…" He cursed under his breath. Joshua always DID love screwing with people.

Rather not standing in the place where he had to wake up in for four weeks, Neku discontinued his search for someone who was probably not him anyways and continued to Hachiko.

'I met Shiki here.' He thought. '….. I met him here too…' he grumbled and leaned against the statue. "You don't mind do you, Hachiko?"

"Hee hee. Unfortunately I don't think that this will be one friend that'll converse with you, Neku."

With a quick snap, Neku turned his head to the right. Who other than Joshua himself had knelt down next to him and had just the smallest smile to his face.

"… Joshua."

"The one and only, my dear partner." Joshua's comment only further widened that smile on his face. Could Neku really be blamed for feeling the need to punch that smirk off of Joshua's face?

When Neku removed his hand, Joshua clutched his nose. "OUCH. I'm bleeding you jerk!"

"I'm the jerk?! Oh you're killing me _AGAIN_, Josh." Neku laughed humorlessly.

"Oh gee, Neku, I'm _so_ sorry that I killed you and made you play a game I was sure you'd win. In fact that very same game rewards the winner with their life back-- wow, you really know how to clock someone, Neku, It won't stop bleeding-- but you're alive now so what the hell's your problem?" The composer argued back as he tried to stop the flow of blood from his nose from dripping onto his shirt.

Neku grabbed the smaller boy by the shirt and shook him. "It's not. Only. THAT; you prissy little snot. It's NOT. ONLY. THAT."

Joshua looked insulted and absolutely confused. "What else was there then?" Joshua looked down when Neku's grip tightened shakily. Neku looked him in the eye and Joshua looked even more shocked. it may have been the blood on the other boy's face that marred that flawless, pretty ivory skin, but Neku couldn't recall Joshua even having a look like that.

"I thought you were my FRIEND. And you just plain USED ME. You don't feel any little bit of remorse for royally screwing with my feelings, do you?" it was Neku's turn to look confused when Joshua shifted his gaze away and to the ground.

"If I didn't feel bad about it; even the slightest bit of sadness, guilt, or remorse; if I didn't feel anything for you, I wouldn't have come back to talk, Neku. It was an... unforeseen miscalculation on my part."

* * *

(1) crap I just lost pretty damn hard.

Anyways. I've used my inspiration. I may make another chapter to this. But I don't know. Make me want to type and leave a review XD


	2. Another Unforseen Miscalculation

Okay, so now that I've hit more than a hundred page views in less than a week of this being up (which surprises me) I've decided to make another chapter. I see that a lot of you like my way of writing, which I have to say makes me feel good about writing. XD I'll be sure to update more.

Maybe I'll make this a full-plotted fic instead of just some harebrained scrap.

* * *

Neku blinked at Joshua._ Feelings? Since when did Joshua have FEELINGS for anything besides himself?_ "Aren't you busy with your little games?" Neku decided not to pursue the first inner question.

"Well after the last one, the guys upstairs decided it was best to dish out a bit of time for me to 'learn exactly what my job is'. Apparently destroying my job wasn't in the contract when I signed up. Hee hee. So thus I'm stuck here for the majority of the month. Fun, fun, fun." Neku was surprised that Joshua had people higher up than he was. "But that's a low punishment. I guess I had a point when I thought that Shibuya had no great future the way it was running."

_But wait…_ "Then who's running Shibuya now?"

"They decided to put Mr. H. in charge. Seems they found whatever crime he did to earn the title of 'Fallen Angel' justifiable in this case. That's rare. Besides, there's no one else that COULD take it. All of the senior officers were erased by you; Minamimoto included even though I had to put him down, but he was nutty anyways, hee hee. Kitaniji lost our game so he's erased too. Sad. When I go back to my job there'll be no one left. I hope Mr. H. spends some time finding me a new Conductor." For someone who was living on the streets for the month, Joshua didn't seem all that concerned.

_He probably can just go back to the Death God's Pad and hang around with Mr. Hanekoma. _Neku was surprised to find himself concerned with where Joshua planned to go._ Probably that subconscious want to still be his friend. Even though I know damn well he'll probably just screw me over again. Screw me over once, shame on you, screw me twice, and I should have seen it coming. _Neku was determined not to give Joshua the slightest chance of that ever happening again.

"Hey, Neku?"

Neku snapped back to reality and responded. 'Huh? What?"

"Can you let go of my shirt? I'd imagine you're putting wrinkles in it with the grip you have on it." He still had Joshua by the front of the shirt? Oh. So he did. Neku let go and mumbled a small sorry while he slid his headphones off of his ears back down to his neck and ruffled his unruly orange hair.

Joshua laughed.

"What's so funny?" Neku's face twisted in a slight confusion.

"I've never seen you without those headphones on." Joshua reached out and fluffed Neku's hair, only for Neku to swat his hand away.

"Ha. Ha... Oh very funny. Yeah I KNOW I need a haircut, Josh. You could go for one too, frankly, _GIGGLES._" God _damn_ Joshua and laughing! At least Neku stuck a little gel into his hair. Sure it didn't keep his bangs out of his eyes, but Joshua…. Okay so Joshua made his look work, but still.

"Hello Neku? I hope the lights are on with people home, as rare of an occurrence that might be."

"Oh stuff it, Joshua. This entire hair thing is reminding me of that time Shiki and I ran into that stupid Prince in 104…. I am not a spicy tuna roll." He was most certainly not a tuna roll, spicy or otherwise.

"Hee hee." Joshua got that smirk to him again. "You're more of a California roll, actually, Neku."

Neku raised his fist. "I swear, Joshua, I will rearrange your face."

Joshua just laughed a bit more and pulled a stray lock of hair out of his face. "I'm just kidding. Learn to take a joke, Nekky." Oh GOD, Nao's nickname for him. Even Phones wasn't as bad as that.

"I can take a joke JOSH-JOSH." Neku shot back with a roll of the eyes.

Joshua laughed again. "That was a really odd conversation, wasn't it? Charming people though. Say, you wouldn't happen to have a tissue or a handkerchief on your person would you, Neku? I think I still have blood on my face. You little brute, you."

_I'm gonna let you have it again if you don't take yourself off of your high horse, you ass. _Neku honestly wanted to tell Joshua that. He really did. But he decided against it. "No. I don't."

"How unfortunate. Then the least you could do is get me a couple of napkins from Sunshine Stationside. How about a bottle of water too? I'm thirsty."

Okay. Polite Neku was not going to hang around for much longer with THIS sort of attitude from Joshua. "How abou—" Neku began

"Please? I'm asking nicely."

Neku grumbled. Trust Joshua to get him with just a 'please'. Well it was a rare occasion to hear Joshua ask _nicely_. "Fine. You owe me whatever they're charging for water though."

He heard Joshua giggle again as he stomped over to the restaurant. "Thanks, Neku." He said singsong. Neku's urges to punch things were abnormally high today.

But after waiting behind some fat guy who couldn't choose what he wanted for a good five minutes, Neku did indeed buy the bottled water for the absurd price of 320 yen. _Their freaking sodas cost less than the water! _His voice shouted in his head as he handed Joshua the napkins and water. Joshua took a couple sips of it, but then poured some of the water onto the paper tissues and attempted to wipe the traces of blood from his face, missing some of the area where there really was a noticeable streak of blood. "You're not getting it, Josh." Neku informed him with a roll of the eyes and a bit of attitude in his tone.

A few misses later and Neku just snatched the napkin from him. "Here, you twit." Neku leaned over and wiped the pink streaks off of Joshua's face before tossing the napkin in the garbage. Only after he'd watched the piece of trash land in the bin did his logical thinking catch up with his impulse. _What the hell did I do that for?_

He looked over at Joshua, who seemed confused himself but merely shrugged and picked up the bottle of water again.

Neku scratched the back of his head. He had no idea what to say now. "Uh… anyway…"

Neku was interrupted by a cell phone ringing. His cell phone. The caller ID identified it as his mother. "Hello?"

'Neku, you said you'd be home an hour ago. Where are you?' Asked the familiar voice of his mother.

"Oh." _Whoops. Completely forgot I told her I was just going out for a walk…._ "Sorry. I, uh, ran into someone I met a while ago. We were just talking."

He heard Joshua laugh quietly and say "and knock said person one to the face" before his mother replied again.

"A friend?"

"… Kinda." Could he really call Joshua a 'friend' at this point?

"Well I guess you can stay out for a while longer. Go get some ramen with your friend or something and have a good time. Tell then I said hi, too, Neku. I'll see you when you get home."

Neku rolled his eyes and closed his phone. "My mom says hi, Josh."

Joshua laughed again. "She seems nice."

"She said I could stay out for a while more…. Meaning that she expects me to be friends with you…." _Damn you, mother. I love you, but damn you. _So much for Neku's plans of not giving Joshua an opportunity to do anything.

Joshua's smirk widened. "Oh I heard. She said something about ramen? Don't worry, Neku, I'll pay you back by treating you to some. Let's go to Ken Doi's place. He makes the best shio ramen I've ever tasted. Besides, ever since saving his business he's always given seconds for free."

"…. You even use the people from the restaurants, Joshua…" Neku sighed.

"So it goes, my dear. So it goes."

"Don't call me that."

Ken Doi always served ramen to Neku the second he walked in the door. Even if there were other customers waiting, he always gave him his bowl first. It was almost like the restaurant owner and chef knew when he was going to pop in. Ken Doi was a master cook. He could make a _dessert_ ramen. And he could make it taste _good_. Tell him another ramen cook who could put bananas and pineapples into a soup and make it taste great.

This time was no exception.

"Irasshai! Hey Neku! Oh, Joshua's here with you today? I haven't seen him for such a long time. You should come around more often, kid."

Joshua laughed lightly. "I'll try, sir."

"So what'll it be kids? The usual shoyu ramen for Neku and shio ramen for Joshua?"

Neku nodded. "That'd be great, Mr. Ken Doi."

Ken Doi laughed. "Just call me Ken, Neku."

Neku took a seat next to Joshua and their bowls were served to them mere seconds later. Joshua smiled. "Smells great, Ken. Thanks."

"This round's on me, boys. It's good to see you two hanging out together again."

Neku glanced over to Joshua. He remembered coming here a few times during the week for ramen with Joshua during his time in the UG. Whenever they came here, Joshua always had a smile on his face. Not the annoying, snotty smirk he usually had on his face, but an actual happy smile. He always seemed to enjoy a bowl of shio ramen.

Again, this time was no exception.

"Mmm…." Joshua sighed. "That was delicious! It's like paradise in a bowl." And that smile got bigger.

_I should take a picture. It lasts longer. Within five seconds he's back to jeering at me._

"Not hungry, Neku? You haven't finished yours yet."

Neku actually wasn't that hungry anymore now that Joshua mentioned it. After all, they were pretty big bowls. "Nah. I'm full."

Joshua took Neku's bowl and picked the chopsticks up from where they rested across the rim. Neku stared blankly at Joshua as the other ate the remainder of his food with his chopstick. _What the hell is wrong with him?! I had those in my mouth! _"Dude, Josh, what the hell?"

Joshua raised an eyebrow. "What? Food is food and chopsticks are chopsticks. Don't bust a speaker, Phones."

_Ohh hardy har har. _"Ugh. Let's just go. Later, Ken!"

Joshua stood and walked towards the door, Neku following, but before Joshua made it to the door he stopped and turned around "Say Neku, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Why were you so flabbergasted that I used your chopsticks? I mean—" Joshua was cut off before he could finish his statement however, when a couple of kids ran into the restaurant and knocked Joshua over, effectively creating a domino effect and toppling him on top of Neku. The look on Joshua's face was purely surprise and shock.

Neku was speechless. Not only speechless, but red in the face too. _What. The. Hell._

Joshua's face changed to an amused expression. "Your face is red. Embarrassed?"

Neku went to protest that he was certainly embarrassed to have a creep like Joshua on top of him, accident or not, but that little protest was quickly put down when Joshua leaned in and gave Neku a quick peck on the forehead.

"Hee hee. Another unforeseen miscalculation, huh?"

Neku reddened even more.

* * *

Yeah, so I threw some more JoshuaNeku in there. I had fun with this.

Like it? Throw me a bone and leave a review, will ya?

I'm starting to like this fic more and more… ideas are welcome if anyone has any.


	3. Convenient Yet Inconvenient

Slightly, but surely, these chapters are getting just a liiiiittle bit longer each time.

Thanks for reviewing as always, guys, enjoy.

* * *

Eventually, Joshua peeled him off of the floor with a chuckle. "I swear I didn't think that little joke would make you THAT embarrassed." Joshua looked pretty amused at the situation, but Neku was not amused at ALL.

Neku had to stop himself from strangling Joshua right there. He'd gone and messed with him again. AGAIN! He'd been bamboozled!

As Neku stormed out of the ramen shop, Joshua was still laughing behind him. "Oh come now, Neku, you're STILL mad? I said I was sorry." Neku walked faster. Joshua easily kept up with him. "Geez, Neku, I came up with that one on the spot and you're STILL flustered?" Neku put a hand to his face, which did seem a bit warmer than usual, before he pulled the collar on his shirt up.

"I'm going to clock you one again if you don't shut the hell up, Joshua!" Neku was infuriated. His face must have turned even redder from being so mad, but Joshua really knew how to piss him the hell off.

Then he heard Joshua sigh. "I was only a joke, Neku. Come on, I'm sorry." Joshua sounded surprisingly sincere about the apology.

"Whatever. Just shut up."

They continued walking in silence until Joshua finally spoke up.

"Neku?"

"I said shut up!"

"But I'm pretty sure yo—"

"Shut up." Neku interrupted.

"But I'm almost positive that you—"

"I said—" Neku interrupted again.

"You walked by your house, Neku." Joshua finished, pointing at the small sign that clearly read 'Sakuraba'. "My, snappy even when someone's trying to help you."

Neku turned around and gave Joshua a shove, but failing to move him more than a few inches. Muttering profanities, Neku marched to the stairs of his house. "Neku?"

"What?!" he snapped. Joshua seemed a bit taken aback at how irritated Neku really was over the entire little forehead kiss.

"You're overreacting a bit, Neku. Calm down."

"How can I calm down when you just show up all la-dee-freakin-da and messing with my goddam—" Neku was cut off with the door opened. His mother stood smiling in the doorway. Apparently she hadn't heard him yelling.

"Neku, is this your friend?"

"… Yeah. This is Joshua." Neku turned to send a glare at Joshua, who simply pat him on the back.

His mother seemed surprised when she looked at Joshua. "Oh it's you!"

_It's him? _"You know him?"

Joshua smiled. "Oh yes, I remember, you're the nice woman I helped with the groceries the other day. You're Neku's mother? I had no idea."Neku on the other hand, looked like he was ready to smash his face into the concrete. Joshua, without even trying to, had weaseled his way into his mother's good side. Next thing you know, she'd be insisting he stay a while longer.

"Why don't you come in and stay a while?" Speak of the Reaper Review.

"Uh, mom? It's kinda getting late out. I'm sure Joshua has someplace else to be." _Just keep trying excuses, Neku, you'll get something eventually._

Joshua shrugged. "Actually I've got nothing better to do that to look for a motel to spend the next few weeks in."

"So you should be getting that that then, shouldn't you? Yep. Okay. Later Joshua. Don't fall down the stairs on your way out."

"Neku!" His mother admonished. "Don't be so rude. Joshua, dear, you're welcome to stay here. Neku doesn't have any siblings so I think hen could use a sleepover."

_Did she not hear the 'few weeks' part?_ Neku nearly smacked his forehead in exasperation. He could hear the suppressed snort of amusement from Joshua and discreetly stepped on Joshua's foot. After a second, however, Neku's mother dragged the two of them inside and sent them up the stairs. Joshua laughed all the way.

"Did you see that coming, Neku? Because honestly,_ I _didn't, and that's not very often. Is she always that quick to help?"

Neku groaned and rolled his eyes. "I never was that keen on inviting my non-existent friends over. So she must be excited." Neku had never found any interest in making friends after most of the kids in his neighborhood moved unexpectedly without so much as a word. They'd been the only ones Neku even bothered to play with when he was a kid and after the new group of them moved in he just stopped bothering to try.

His father was always away on business trips in different countries, and his mother only worked part time. She had no siblings, both of his grandparents were dead, her friends all moved away so all she really had to look forward to was Neku.

He felt a little guilty now that he thought about it.

Joshua smirked. "I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Neku, but where exactly am I supposed to sleep? I hope it's not with you in your bed."

Neku threw a pillow at him, which Joshua caught. "In your dreams. You're using the sleeping bag." Neku dig through his (incredibly messy) closet for the sleeping bag that was never actually used for a camping trip or any other form of use and threw that at Joshua.

Neku looked at the floor. Not expecting company, there were clothes thrown about his room, papers and tin pin magazines-- he threw those under the bed as quickly as possible; Joshua still saw this, but didn't make any teasing remarks or smirks— and a plate from his snack last night. Neku spent the next ten minutes scurrying around his room picking up his clothes. He walked down the hall to toss them in the closet and was surprised to see Joshua had pulled his magazines from under his bed and stacked them and the papers into neat piles. He was currently sitting with his back against the side of Neku's bed thumbing through the pages of Tin Pin Weekly, occasionally smirking. Neku felt his face redden in embarrassment. Joshua noticed him standing there. "Oh, hey Neku, that was fast. I picked up those papers for you. You're still into Tin Pin?"

"… yes." He admitted. He wasn't into Tin Pin, he was OBSESSED with it.

Joshua's smirk broadened slightly. "I could tell from the Tournament poster on the door." Neku nearly died on the spot. Utterly embarrassing. Placing the magazine neatly on the pile and picking up the pile to put it on the bookshelf, Joshua rolled out sleeping bag and pulled down the zipper.

"You're going to bed already?"

Joshua gave him a bemused look. "It's close to eleven thirty, Neku."

Neku turned to look at the clock on his nightstand. "It is?"

Joshua laughed. "Did you have so much fun with me that you lost track of time?" Neku scowled at him childishly.

"Shut up."

Joshua laughed again as Neku dug through his pajama drawer to get a pair of blue soft sleep pants with CAT's logo on them and a black tee. He realized that Joshua couldn't exactly sleep in a pair of jeans and a dress shirt. He tossed a white tee shirt and a black pair of pants with white feathers on them to him. "Go change in the bathroom."

Joshua smirked again and left the room to change. Neku changed from his clothes quickly and tossed them on the chair. He could still wear them tomorrow, probably. He did just wash them that morning. The only thing he took special care for was his pair of blue headphones, placing them on the nightstand in front of the lamp.

When Joshua came back, the other climbed into the sleeping bag and attempted to zip it up. Attempted being the proper word.

Joshua cusses while he continued his vain efforts to get the zipper up on the sleeping bag. "They make this a lot more tenacious than it should be."

Neku grinned. _Another reason I wish I had more zippers. They make Joshy-boy look like a twit._

"Maybe if I zip it down more then pull it up." Joshua's plan backfired only when he went to zip the stubborn zipper back up.

_Zipper Sleeping Bag: 2_

_Joshua, Shibuya's Composer: 0_

_If there were Sleeping bag Noise when I was dead, we'd have been boned._

"Freaking hilarious." Neku stated as he got off his bed to zip up the sleeping bag effortlessly. Joshua's face twisted into a slight scowl. "It's karma for earlier on, Josh." Neku laughed as he climbed back in bed.

"Being able to stay here; convenient. Trying to get to sleep; inconvenient." Joshua rolled his eyes. "Laugh it up, Neku. I'll be sure to get you for every little mistake tomorrow."

"Sure you will, Camping Failure. Lord forbids we ever get into a fight with Smokey the bear and a gang of campers." Neku laughed as he shut off the lights.

"Ha. Ha."

Neku had the last laugh this time.

* * *

Over Memorial Day, I had this amusing little situation with a sleeping bag where the stupid zipper wouldn't zip up and all I could think of was Joshua having the same problem and Neku thinking 'This is why I love zippers. They help me tell people to shut up and they make Joshua look like an idiot.'


End file.
